St Patrick’s 3-12
Naomh Eoin 0-7
The 2023 Carlow Football Championships kicked off on Thursday night with the meeting of St Patrick’s and Naomh Eoin in the first of an Intermediate double header at NCP.
Although St Patrick’s emerged 14 point winners, on another night they may very well have found themselves behind at the interval with the Myshall men squandering 2 goal chances and kicking 8 wides in the opening half.
The caveat to the above however was that Tullow also missed 2 goal chances of their own.
They did get the only one of the first half through Craig Staunton on 10 minutes, while Jack Kennedy will be the correct answer to any future pub quiz questions in relation to the first scorer in the 2023 Football championships.
Ciaran Abbey notched a good early score for Naomh Eoin in response to Kennedy and those two goal chances came immediately after Staunton's effort with John Michael Nolan blazing over and James Smithers' pass asking too much of Adam Kenny to finish off.
The 21 minute mark was noteworthy for two things. John Michael Nolan’s thundering shoulder, and Jamie Ansbro’s ability to hop straight back up after it and soldier on! A robust but fair hit accepted gamely by a tough bit of stuff.
Cian Gorman Comerford had an earlier goal chance saved on 5 minutes but he got off the mark on 25 minutes when a Cathal Healy goal bound effort ended up back with him and he popped over.
Adam Kenny and Scott Treacy had scored points for Naomh Eoin just before that, but Brian Byrne’s free from the deck meant St Patrick’s led 1-4 to 0-3 at half time.
And Byrne Fisted his side 5 clear on the resumption with CGC, Kennedy (2) and TJ Kavanagh taking them into a 1-9 to 0-3 lead approaching 45 minutes, although Myshall did hit back with two in quick succession from Martin Clowry and Kenny to round out the third quarter.
But St Patrick’s were flying it at this point and great link up play leading to a Jack Kennedy point from Cathal Healy and Willie Doran was a warning shot for Naomh Eoin.
The killer blow arrived a minute later when TJ Kavanagh and Jack Kennedy put in Brian Byrne for their second goal making it 2-10 to 0-5.
Their next goal might be deemed fortuitous. Philip Smithers appeared to have made a legitimate block but a penalty was initially awarded by Brian Deering.
Credit to Deering, he did go check with his umpires and the decision stood. Myshall were angry and maybe they were right to be, but it was good from the Rathvilly man to go check it with his team rather than sticking to a call he wasn’t certain about initially without consultation.
In the heel of the hunt Dylan Gorman Comerford dispatched the pen and Naomh Eoin were goosed.
Cathal Healy and Jack Kennedy knocked over St Patrick’s last two scores, while Jamie Behan’s consolation point brought an end to proceedings.
Work to do for Naomh Eoin, but St Patrick’s looked very impressive.
ST PATRICKS: James Tobin; Shane Rohan, Rob Gahan, Jamie Ansbro; Dylan Gorman Comerford (1-0 pen), Nathan Sherry, Lee Kavanagh; Will Doran, Craig Staunton (1-0); Jack O’Neill, TJ Kavamagh (0-1), Cathal Healy (0-1); Jack Kennedy 0-6,2f), Cian Gorman Comerford (0-2), Brian Byrne (1-2,1f)
Subs: David Orbinski for O’Neill and Eoghan Cleary for L Kavanagh (both 46 mins), Eoghan Cunnane for B Byrne and Cian Doran for Staunton (both 53 mins), David Tobin for Healy (58 mins)
NAOMH EOIN: Andy O’Brien; Patrick Doyle, Martin Doyle, Tommy Nolan; Diego Dunne, Ger Kavanagh, Tadgh Daly; Ciaran Abbey (0-1), Michael Kavanagh; James Smithers, Cathal Treacy, Scott Treacy (0-1f); John Michael Nolan, Adam Kenny (0-3, 1f), Martin Clowry (0-1).
Subs: Philip Smithers for T Nolan (HT), Gavin Ruschitzko for M Kavanagh (42 mins), James O’Hara for Dunne (58 mins)
Referee: Brian Deering
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